1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pop-up strobe apparatus provided on a camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
A strobe is provided on a corner of a camera housing to supplement the light to an object to be imaged in the dark. Mounting of a pop-up strobe for popping-up the strobe light emission unit is known particularly in relation to a small camera that includes a lens barrel that is large relative to the housing. This configuration is adapted to prevent a “shading” phenomenon in which the strobe light does not reach the object due to shading by the leading end of the lens barrel.
The apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-199295 is configured so that the strobe light emission unit is raised above the camera in operable conjugation with the projection of the lens barrel forward of the camera when the camera is placed in the ON position. To avoid missing a photo opportunity, the strobe is constantly in a light emission position since the strobe is constantly in a pop-up state during imaging.
The apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-121428 includes a mechanism that is configured to lock the light emission unit with a manual or electrical locking mechanism and release the lock as required to execute a pop-up operation using a spring force. Inconvenience can be avoided since a user only executes the pop-up operation for the light emission unit when required and storage after completion of imaging is possible. Consequently, the light emission unit in a pop-up state can be prevented from being subjected to unintended shocks or external pressure.
The strobe of the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-199295 is constantly in a pop-up state during imaging and therefore imaging is impeded when the strobe is not required, and there is a risk of the strobe light emission unit being subjected to unintended shocks or external pressure. Furthermore, unnecessary power consumption is caused from the requirement for constant charging of the light-emitting capacitor to adapt to unexpected photo opportunities. In addition, there is a risk of the user experiencing a situation in a location such as an art gallery where strobe photography is prohibited due to use of the apparatus being prohibited as a result of a misunderstanding that the strobe which is in a pop-up state will emit light. Furthermore, although a strobe emits light for an extremely short period toward an object in the dark, since it is exclusively limited to still-image photography and is not required during moving-image photography, an impediment is caused during moving-image photography since the apparatus remains in a pop-up state.
The apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-121428 may result in a risk of missing a photo opportunity due to trouble to a user during a pop-up operation. Furthermore, there is a need to minimize impact noise during the pop-up operation and, during adjustment of the autofocus (AF), to avoid any deviation or the like caused by the impact.
As described above, both the above pop-up ways include advantages and disadvantages, and the two ways should preferably be used in response to user preferences or imaging conditions.